Lady&#39;s shoe



S- BROOKS Feb. 20, 1968 LADY'S SHOE Filed March '13, 1967 4 Fig. 2

Counter Vamp T00 Box OuIso/e Simmie Brooks IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,369,309 LADYS SHOE Simmie Brooks, 2523 Carolina St., Vallejo, Calif.

Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,710 Claims. (Cl. 362.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to certain new, useful and unobvious improvements in a dress shoe or pump for female wearers wherein the customarily provided French high heel or spike is replaced by a pair of separate but identical French heels which are proportional to each other and the counter of the shoe supported thereby, are side-by-side in suitably spaced parallel poised relationship and accordingly firmly and constantly stabilize and balance the shoe for equipoised wear and better walking purposes.

Prior art Efforts to equalize and balance a wearers body weight, the imposed variable forces, and the often carelessly applied load while walking have to do, generally speaking, with a dress shoe and heel which will accommodate the ball and heel of the foot. This desired result calls for a shoe bottom or base which offers a three-point equipoised walking base. Manifestly, this stabilizing and balanced-shoe-result has posed a problem in shoe construction requirements. As exemplary of the state of the art the reader can, if so desired, refer to the patent to Dittrich 3,041,745 showing a single spike heel terminating in a pair of integrated laterally flared and spread prongs which are said to achieve increased stability and minimize wobbly ankle action and to steady the wearers walking gait and equilibrium.

With a view toward more aptly and effectually solving the problem, the single heel concept, with or without prongs and twin-point surface contact, is herein abandoned and two separate and distinct heels which are proportional, mated and paired are utilized. It follows that should one spike or heel be damaged or broken, it alone has to be replaced. Costs are less in that the spikes of each shoe can be conveniently and acceptably purchased and attached at ones local shoe repair shop. It will be noted too that producing and fashioning these uniquely oriented heels does not require special tooling for manufacturing procedures. The fact that the companion or twin heels are spaced apart lessens the likelihood of the over-all heel of the shoe becoming clogged with debris such as mud, snow and the like. Then, too, the desired femine design characteristics are maintained and should popularize a trend for an acceptable style change in attractively feminine footwear.

Summary Briefly the shoe itself is unchanged and embodies a leather, fabric, or an equivalent upper including a vamp, toe box (with or without an ornamental how) a counter,

insole and outsole (not detailed). In fact the underneath heel attaching area can be basically conventional but perhaps adequately fabricated for its new role-accommodatingly supporting the unique dual or duplex heel. It follows that the essence of the present invention resides in the aforementioned duplicate left and right or side-byside heels which are such in size, height, cross-section and structure that they, including the bottoming lifts transform the shoe in rear end appearance but, what is important, achieve the purposes and advantageous objectives above set forth.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a high heeled dress shoe embodying the improved dual or duplex heels constructed and applied in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same.

FIG. 3 is a rear end elevation, that is a. view observing FIG. 2 in a direction from left to right.

It is reiterated that no structural changes are contemplated insofar as the shoe proper is concerned. This is to say, the overall upper which is denoted at 6 is made of suitable materials such as employed in the construction of ladies dress shoes. This upper embodies an appropriate vamp 8, forward toe portion or box 10 and seamed counter 14. The numeral 16 denotes an appropriate bow or other toe ornament of the type shown. The ball or sole portion of the outsole is denoted at 18, the shank 20 and the appropriately fabricated underneath or bottom side of the heel portion is denoted generally at '22. It is to this area or underneath side 22 that the improved heel means is attached.

As is evident from the views of the drawing instead of utilizing the customary or conventional single spike or French heel the latter is abandoned and two duplicate or twin heels are substituted therefor. This is to say, one companion heel is denoted by the numeral 24 and this is an intact heel and is located to the left of the center seam of the counter. The companion heel, which is like the heel 24, is attached and located, manifestly, to the right of the center point. These heels 24 and 26 are of identical construction and made of appropriate material, such as wood, leather, cork or a composition of such materials as are commonly or customarily used in the construction of readily attachable and replaceable high heels. The heel 24 to the left serves its proportionate share in supporting the weight which is imposed to the left of the center whereas the heel 26 to the right likewise contributes its cooperative share in adequately supporting the load and weight which is received thereby to the right of the center point and each heel has an upper body portion 28 which is enlarged as brought out in rear elevation and side elevation in the drawing. The upper surfaces of the enlarged portions are suitably constructed to permit the same to be superimposed upon or bonded and otherwise joined to the attaching surface 22. The shank portions 30 taper gradually and downwardly and are of the usual noncircular crosssection employed in heels in this field of endeavor. The lower end of each shank is provided with an appropriate leather, rubber or equivalent lift 32. It is to be pointed out that the expression high heels is intended to comprehend such heels as are commonly referred to in the art as spikes and more frequently as French heels. It is significant to again stress the fact that the heels 24 and 26 are proportional in size and identical in construction and height and when applied properly they cooperate With the ball portion of the foot or shoe and contribute in providing a three-point balanced support and suspension for the over-all shoe. It is therefore not merely a matter of spread integrated prongs which are employed but rather individual and properly proportioned and coordinating heels which achieve the objectives and end result desired. It will be evident therefore that this invention will serve the purposes for which it is intended.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and Operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dress shoe comprising a conventional-type upper embodying a vamp, a toe portion and a complemental counter, said upper having the usual lengthwise underneath side characterized by forward toe and rearward heel components, and a longitudinally arched connecting shank and outsole, and improved complemental heel means for said rearward heel component comprising, a pair of like high heels secured to and depending from said rearward heel component, said heels being equipoised, proportional in size with each other as well as the over-all upper and particularly that part of the shoe which is elevated and supported thereby, said heels conjointly serving to evenly and distributively counterbalance the load imposed thereon and serving to steady and stabilize and balance the over-all shoe when the wearer is walking, and wherein said heels are separate and independent French heels with their upper ends proportionally enlarged and individually secured in place, said heels having downwardly tapering shank portions which are interrelated in side-by-side spaced parallel relationship.

2. The shoe upper and accompanying heels defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein one heel is wholly located to the left of the center point of the rear surface of said counter and the other heel is located wholly to the right of said center point.

3. The shoe upper and accompanying heel defined in and according to claim 2 and wherein said heels are identical and interchangeable and are poised in side-by-side coplanar arrangement whereby the appearance of the heel means from one side gives the appearance of a single heel but from the rear presents the desired dual appearance and balanced support function.

4. Heel means adapted to be substituted for the usual single French heel employed at the counter end of a conventional dress shoe of the class described comprising a pair of duplicate relatively small but proportional heels, said heels being the same in construction and each having an upper enlarged attaching end portion and a depending shank portion, said attaching portions being such that they are adapted to be secured in place to the left and right of the center of the heel attaching surface at the underneath side of the usual counter of the shoes upper, said heels being interchangeable and provided with coplanar lower ends which are designed and adapted to firmly contact the ground or other surface which is traversed in a manner to provide the stabilizing and reinforcing properties and functions desired when said heels are mounted for use.

5. Heel means which is expressly designed and structurally adapted to be substituted for a single high heel on a dress shoe comprising, a pair of identical relatively small conjointly cooperable French heels each having a self-contained upper enlarged attaching end portion and a complemental depending shank portion, the respective attaching portions adapted to be individually bonded and thus firmly secured in place to the left and right respectively of a conventional accommodating and attaching surface of the usual counter of the shoes upper, said heels being interchangeable and provided with coplanar lower ends designed and adapted to firmly and simultaneously contact the ground or other surface in a manner to provide the side-by-side reinforcing, stabilizing and equipoised and balanced result and appearance desired.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 136,960 1/1944 Shuford 3634 X 3,041,745 7/1962 Dittrich 36-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,114 5/1957 Italy.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

